Paging C. Killmaster

[bfriendly]

I see no reason that the forest service couldn't set aside a percentage within each forest to be cut and replanted, allowing browse and undergrowth to grow, I do understand the environmental crowd is much more vocal than the deer hunting crowd, I believe mostly because the majority of deer hunters work and have busy lives, the environmental fanatics generally do that for a living, full time, if they work at all. So they have a lot more time to organize and make sure to go to public meetings,


I hunted the mountain wma's when I was in my 20's and early 30's, not because I thought I had a good chance at a deer, simply because it was different hunting to me. I knew I would be lucky to even see a deer back then, the ones I did see were in the lower valleys, where the browse was,

But if the bear population is as high as I'm hearing it is, I would think it needs to be reduced down , even if they don't kill that many fawns, they compete for some of the same food deer do.

My wife and son passed this guy in Blue ridge......then backed up to get this picture and talk to it for a minute. They drove off and he stayed here. Yeah I think here are lots of bears up there.

 

[cowhornedspike]

I agree with that but they can change regulations to help with the population. Not many people hunting here anymore so what’s it going to hurt to try. No doe days is a start but probably not enough.

So if almost no one is hunting anyway and those that do aren't killing any deer since there aren't any there anymore anyway, then tell me again how changing the hunting regs will help...askin for a friend...

 

[GSPEED]

Yeah I didn’t think of that, probably should just leave it like it is, it’ll get better on it’s own, right?

 

[kmckinnie]

Yeah I didn’t think of that, probably should just leave it like it is, it’ll get better on it’s own, right?

So do you think most got shot with the generous bag limits ?

 

[GSPEED]

CNF never had many doe days but I think the generous bag limits gave the perception of it didn’t hurt to kill deer and buying a license with 12 tags. Now on our WMAs they had doe days till there was nothing left. Again this was more suggestions than regulations. Western North Carolina has 2 weeks of rifle and no doe days with a rifle that’s within a few minutes of us and you can go ride the back roads in the evening and see deer, not like you’re in middle Georgia but way more than you’ll see here. And no I’m not suggesting 2 weeks of rifle season. It’s a combination of predators,habitat and regulations and there’s only one of these that can be changed. Habitat isn’t as bad as they are saying, you can’t convince me that 750,000 acres can’t produce but a 1,000 deer.

 

[Joe Brandon]

Isn't that what they are doing now, taking matters into their own hands. These permits are a joke. They are more like legalized poaching than anything else.

Do want to add again that if you take a drive down hwy 16 anywhere between 430-8 pm any time of year, all the way from macon to darn pooler you will see multiple fields with up to 50 deer in them. Yes they are destroying the mans lively hood. That land is apples to oranges from the nf mountain land. No darn compassison. Baseball to soccer.

 

[Throwback]

If it’s legal it’s not poaching

 

[kmckinnie]

CNF never had many doe days but I think the generous bag limits gave the perception of it didn’t hurt to kill deer and buying a license with 12 tags. Now on our WMAs they had doe days till there was nothing left. Again this was more suggestions than regulations. Western North Carolina has 2 weeks of rifle and no doe days with a rifle that’s within a few minutes of us and you can go ride the back roads in the evening and see deer, not like you’re in middle Georgia but way more than you’ll see here. And no I’m not suggesting 2 weeks of rifle season. It’s a combination of predators,habitat and regulations and there’s only one of these that can be changed. Habitat isn’t as bad as they are saying, you can’t convince me that 750,000 acres can’t produce but a 1,000 deer.

That place needs to just shut down for 5 years.
The hunters are shooting them faster than they can make them.

 

[Joe Brandon]

That place needs to just shut down for 5 years.
The hunters are shooting them faster than they can make them.

Im with that close it for deer for x amount of seasons and keep it open for bear and hogs, tree rats etc..

 

[ucfireman]

The only say I have at all on CNF is deer hunting regulations. Since all legal doe harvest was shut down, what more can I do? I also initiated the fawn study up there to prove what we all knew was going on, which helps but that alone won't change forest management. North GA hunters collectively have a lot more say in what happens to the forest than I do. I can furnish data and information, but if hunters don't unite and demand change from the Feds there's nothing I can do.

Contact your Senators and Representatives and voice your concerns. We have a President right now that is open to the idea of opening federal lands up to hunting and other exploitation. With them and us and him maybe we can get some timber cut. Not clear cut but some thinning.
And maybe hunters, fishermen and outdoors people need to hire some lobbyists, that what the tree huggers do.
As Mr Killmaster said he can manage the animals there but not the habitat, that is FEDERAL.

Maybe the state can start a program where public land hunters donate money and time to improve public land, like everyone else is doing on leased land. It's 2020 and nothing is free. Not even resources. I'm surprised they aren't asking for camo and ammo be included in the license fees.

They have that program. Don't remember what was called but we all voted a few years ago for 20% of sales tax on outdoors products to be guaranteed to use for "public uses", so why should we pay again? We should just demand the money be used as we would like it, instead of ball fields etc.

We need to be more vocal at the State capital and everywhere else.
"The squeaky wheel gets the oil" so lets squeak.

 

[ucfireman]

As for the predator problem, they allow 3 bears/person/season, cant make someone kill them just allow the opportunity.
The coyote situation, well I don't really have a good solution, unless the DNR wanted to bait and shoot them during the off season. Allowing the public to hunt them on WMAs all year may help but I don't feel hunters will cooperate, and either not kill the coyotes or kill bears and deer out of season.

 

[XIronheadX]

Not sure what to tell ya ucfireman. I guess I'm paying that same 20%, and licenses to help out. Then paying leases, seeds, tractors, forestry service, and lots of sweat to enjoy some wildlife. If I didn't have deer, I'd start hunting bear, hogs, and coyotes. And hope the deer fell in love with each other again.

 

[Joe Brandon]

Not sure what to tell ya ucfireman. I guess I'm paying that same 20%, and licenses to help out. Then paying leases, seeds, tractors, forestry service, and lots of sweat to enjoy some wildlife. If I didn't have deer, I'd start hunting bear, hogs, and coyotes. And hope the deer fell in love with each other again.

Your making a choice to lease land. That is much different than public land or owning your own land. What is it you are having a hard tome understanding about that? Its a concept you seem to have a hard time grasping. You too are comparing apples to oranges.

 

[XIronheadX]

Your making a choice to lease land. That is much different than public land or owning your own land. What is it you are having a hard tome understanding about that? Its a concept you seem to have a hard time grasping. You too are comparing apples to oranges.

It appears you are having the hard time comprehending that uncut timber loaded with bears, coyotes, hogs, and hunters isn't going to produce deer numbers. So keep playing fruit basket turnover until you solve your issue. I'll be in middle Ga. producing and aiding wildlife.

 

[ucfireman]

I pay the same as you Ironhead. I have a lifetime license, tractor, plant food plots and hunt my own place I pay taxes on. I also hunt public land, owned by Ga, not Federal land. That land can be manipulated to produce wildlife.
That is why I keep saying the State of Georgia should buy more land, so people like me and you have places to enjoy, before it is all warehouses and homes.
That said, until the Federal Government changes the land use practices on National Forest lands, nothing will change. Unless the habitat can support deer there's no point in crying about it.
Think about Quail. Land use has changed and they are gone until land use changes back.

I may be misreading or misinterpreting posts, I am not the one crying there are no deer in the mtns, I'm the one saying until habitat changes that is what is there and not lot can be done about that.

 

[XIronheadX]

I pay the same as you Ironhead. I have a lifetime license, tractor, plant food plots and hunt my own place I pay taxes on. I also hunt public land, owned by Ga, not Federal land. That land can be manipulated to produce wildlife.
That is why I keep saying the State of Georgia should buy more land, so people like me and you have places to enjoy, before it is all warehouses and homes.
That said, until the Federal Government changes the land use practices on National Forest lands, nothing will change. Unless the habitat can support deer there's no point in crying about it.
Think about Quail. Land use has changed and they are gone until land use changes back.

I agree. Problem is they worry about the hikers, and the premises, as much or more than the hunter. Whatever that Mountain Authority stuff is, leaning toward hospitality. No telling where the money goes. I won't be going trout fishing in middle Ga. though. Or bear hunting. lol

 

[cowhornedspike]

Habitat isn’t as bad as they are saying, you can’t convince me that 750,000 acres can’t produce but a 1,000 deer.

A man convinced against his will, remains a man, unconvinced still...just sayin...

 

[northgeorgiasportsman]

CNF never had many doe days but I think the generous bag limits gave the perception of it didn’t hurt to kill deer and buying a license with 12 tags. Now on our WMAs they had doe days till there was nothing left. Again this was more suggestions than regulations. Western North Carolina has 2 weeks of rifle and no doe days with a rifle that’s within a few minutes of us and you can go ride the back roads in the evening and see deer, not like you’re in middle Georgia but way more than you’ll see here. And no I’m not suggesting 2 weeks of rifle season. It’s a combination of predators,habitat and regulations and there’s only one of these that can be changed. Habitat isn’t as bad as they are saying, you can’t convince me that 750,000 acres can’t produce but a 1,000 deer.

GSPEED, what county do you hunt in the most?

 

[NCHillbilly]

Personally, I love deer hunting on public land in the mountains. Not because there's a lot of deer, but because it's a challenge to get a shot at a legal one, and I just love hunting in the mountains. You earn your deer here. Especially with our three weeks of rifle season. And one doe day. I am more tickled with a spike or forkhorn killed on public land here than I am with a nice big mature buck killed on my private Piedmont land. Because it's harder to find and kill, period.

 

[GSPEED]

GSPEED, what county do you hunt in the most?

Rabun